Post Falls school board trustee candidates speak

POST FALLS — Six candidates running for the Post Falls school board sounded off during a candidate forum Thursday night.

Each outlined why they're running, what they would bring to the board, challenges facing the district, and whether a trustee should be non-partisan.

Zone 1 candidates Guy McAninch and Neil Uhrig spoke first.

McAninch came to the area from Pennsylvania in 2007. A chiropractor, McAninch said he thinks "outside the box" and the district needs an outside perspective.

Serving as a mentor for the Juvenile Department of Corrections and as a foster and adoptive parent, McAninch said he desires to “help kids achieve the best they can.” His limited experience with the Post Falls School District did not leave his family “impressed,” he said. His children don't attend Post Falls schools.

McAninch plans to ensure finances are managed responsibly and growth is addressed. He also has concerns about curriculum choices.

“The world has taken over our society and I think it’s detrimental to kids,” McAninch said.

Uhrig, a Post Falls Police Department detective sergeant, has lived in North Idaho since 2011. His children, 10 and 13, attend Post Falls schools. “I have skin in the game,” Uhrig said.

Working with the police department since 2006, Uhrig spent five years as a school resource officer in the district and currently investigates crimes against children.

The biggest challenges facing the district are growth and operational issues, Uhrig said. He is concerned with retaining quality teachers and staff and said he plans to address the wage gap between teachers in Post Falls and Washington. He supports higher pay for teachers.

Zone 4 candidates are incumbent Bridget Malek and Logan Creighton.

Creighton is originally from California but grew up in a small, conservative area, he said. Arriving in Post Falls two years ago, he said “I feel like I’m home, these are my people.”

Raised in home-school systems, Creighton’s first public school experience was as a teaching assistant.

Creighton is a client service administrator for Pinkerton Retirement Specialists.

Every member in the district plays an important role, Creighton said. As a trustee, he believes his most important job would be to act as “the conduit” between parents and educators.

Creighton said he is “researching and studying how this board functions, and most importantly how it should."

Critical Race Theory is the biggest challenge facing Post Falls schools, in Creighton’s opinion.

“That’s certainly something that would have to be addressed in how it affects our schools,” he said.

Malek has served as a trustee for the past five years, has lived in Post Falls for 21 years and has two children attending Post Falls schools.

Her work with the Post Falls Police Department, experience teaching anti-violence curriculum in schools and time spent coaching sports for Parks & Recreation have motivated Malek to continue serving as a trustee, she said.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to work in this community on so many different levels," she said.

“For a board member, the students are the very first thing we consider — at all times,” Malek said.

Malek is passionate about offering alternative forms of learning such as KTEC or dual enrollment through North Idaho College.

“Not all kids are going to learn in standardized form,” Malek said.

Local growth is the biggest concern for Malek. Inevitably more students will require building more schools, Malek said.

“When you look at building schools you have to look at the financial resources and the financial responsibility of that,” Malek said.

Jake Dawson and David J. Reilly are competing for the Zone 5 position.

Reilly is a first-year Post Falls resident with an eight-month-old daughter. Currently in digital media, Reilly has experienced public, private and home-schooling formats. He is interested in serving as a trustee because education is where there is “the biggest possible impact on society as a whole,” he said.

Growth, transparency and wealth inequality are the biggest issues facing the district, Reilly said. He believes most people coming to the area are choosing to home-school their children.

“I think that it’s a failure, I think that shows that something is lacking in the current school system,” Reilly said.

Reilly plans to address communication issues between parents and school staff.

“I will be your voice on the board,” Reilly said. “People are getting angry because they don’t feel their voices are being heard.”

Dawson is a third-generation Post Falls resident and works as a building maintenance engineer. He worked as a youth developer at the Boys & Girls Club for five years and believes his biggest asset is his familiarity with the community.

“I care about this community,” Dawson said. “Education is foundational, that is where it all begins and my own children will be entering the school system.”

With so many challenges today, Dawson said “it’s time to get off the sidelines and be a part of the solution.”

Dawson said he has no political agenda. He said he would like to see the district “come together regardless of political affiliation” with a primary goal of helping students grow into successful citizens.

Forums for the mayoral, city council and school board trustee candidates are available for at postfallschamber.com.